1893 



A SCIENTIFIC DOCKER 311 



The Department has feelers all over England — has it 

 any at Southampton ? And if it has, could it find out 

 something about the writer of the letters I enclose ? For 

 a " casual docker " they are remarkable ; and I think 

 when you have read them you will not mind my bother- 

 ing you with them. (I really have had the grace to 

 hesitate.) 



I have been puzzled what to do for the man. It is so 

 much easier to do harm than good by meddling — and yet 

 I don't like to leave him to " casual docking." 



In that first letter h.e has got — on his own hook — about 

 as far as Bu£fon and Needham 150 years ago. 



And later to Professor Howes : — 



HoDESLEA, Eastbourne, 

 Feb. 12, 1894. 



Mt dear Howes — Best thanks for unearthing the 

 volumes of Milne - Edwards. I was afraid my set was 

 spoiled. 



I shall be still more obliged to you if you can hear of 



something for S . There is a right good parson in 



his neighbourhood, and from what he tells me about 



S I am confirmed in my opinion that he is a very 



exceptional man, who ought to be at something better 

 than porter's work for twelve hours a day. 



The mischief is that one never knows how trans- 

 planting a tree, much less a man, will answer. Playing 

 Providence is a game at which one is very apt to burn 

 one's fingers. 



However, I am going to try, and hope at any rate to 

 do no harm to the man I want to help. — Ever yours 

 very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



He was eventually offered more congenial occupa- 

 tion at the Natural History Museum in South 



